章 54: The next day is a quick journey.
[Well, first of all, this chapter was supposed to be out yesterday around 6/7 pm, but it didn't happen for two reasons:
One - I was out of the house all day and didn't have time to write anything.
Two - I've been feeling a bit down these last few days, so much so that this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, so don't be surprised—it's genuinely shorter.
Well, more explanations as always at the end of the chapter!]
[...]
POV: Devas Asura. [Fifth day]
I don't know at what moment I passed out, but I woke up still standing in the backyard of the Kamado family.
It was a bit confusing; one moment, I was angry and frustrated for not being able to use the Hinokami Kagura correctly, then something seemed to click.
With every passing second, the torches in the yard grew dimmer, the night darker, and I felt more restrained. Until I couldn't take it anymore and needed to react.
It was as it always had been, as it always would be: fight or flee.
My body didn't want to flee; I didn't want to flee. Just like I didn't flee from the goblin army, I stayed.
So, I started to fight.
There was no enemy, no target. I just wanted to vent my anger, my frustrations, my fear.
I fought against something invisible, letting my mind wander, focused only on moving, on freeing my body, my mind.
I still had full awareness of myself. I knew what I was doing, my movements, my thoughts. I just let it happen, let my body move.
I just wanted the night to end.
When I returned to normal, I woke up again; it was already daytime. The sun was shining in the sky.
I blinked in confusion, looking around and seeing that I was still standing in the same spot as last night. But what?
I looked at the extinguished torches and the ground beneath my feet, the only place untouched by snow.
I looked down and saw that I still held Houtengeki. My body was dry from the snow, my clothes dry. I was... warm?
"I see you've woken up," I heard a voice from the Kamado house. I didn't need to turn around because I already knew who it was: Tanjuro.
"Yeah," I commented as I stowed the halberd. "When did it become daylight?" I asked, looking at the blue sky above.
My body felt light, at peace in a way.
"About..." The man yawned, scratching his chin. "About three hours ago. Are you hungry? Kie made breakfast..." He yawned again.
"You didn't sleep?" I asked, looking to the side. The stream was still on. That was good; I could watch the recording later. "And no, I'm not hungry." I was, but I ate a lot. It was better if I ate later, preparing my own food as always.
He nodded at my response. "No, I stayed awake keeping an eye on your passed-out body." He seemed amused. "I've seen some things in my life, but someone fainting while standing was a first."
I shook my head, amused, and stretched my body. I was rested, hungry, but rested. My mind also felt more... awake? No, cleared, enlightened would be the right words. My thoughts seemed unobstructed.
"You didn't think of just dragging me and tossing me into some room?" I said, walking up to the man and lightly tapping his shoulder. "Good morning." I nodded.
"I could have done that if I didn't feel like I was going to die the moment I got too close." He laughed before returning the greeting. "Good morning. Come, Kie and the kids are getting things ready for the move."
He didn't waste time and started walking into the house.
"Felt like you were going to die?" I whispered. Were my instincts on high alert even when I was unconscious?
As I followed Tanjuro, I took a glance at the (CHAT).
Interestingly, it was emptier. Strange; usually, at this time, there were more people. They didn't watch me all night without sleeping... did they?
The few people in the (CHAT) gave me this response.
[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: You woke up?! Damn! What a show, huh. Kept everyone awake all night. (Iron Man yawning emote). Most others went to sleep. Weaklings! (Iron Man drinking coffee emote).
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]: The recording! I need you to leave this Live recorded! I need to watch it later at 0.5x or better, at 0.25x. I'll learn that even if I have to bleed! (Generic guy emote with red eyes from lack of sleep).
[TohsakaHeiress]: I'm not against that option... I would need to review this recording a few times to understand it too... (Chibi Rin yawning emote). Thank goodness it's the weekend... If I had to deal with my classmates with this sleep, I'd probably kill someone... Slowly...
[(MOD)RedHuntressLive]: Firstly, I hate coffee. Secondly: DEVAS! THAT WAS SO... COOL! MUCH COOLER THAN MR. TANJURO BEFORE! YOU WERE... SWOOSH AND THEN BAM AND WHOOSH! MANY TIMES AND VERY FAST! (Little Red Riding Hood emote with stars in her eyes).
[SniperHirano]: Devas-Aniki! You were so awesome! I couldn't sleep until now, because of my excitement!!! (Zombie with a sniper smiling maniacally emote).
[JiraiyaIsAnIdiot]: Boy... You know I'm old, right? So, avoid making me stay awake like this; it's bad for my back! (Old frog yawning emote).
[BestToadSannin]: Not me! I'm in my prime, always will be! And Devas, I have to agree with the rest of the folks, this combat style, breathing technique was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen! Glad you wouldn't mind if I... copied it, right? (Sap with Sharingan eyes drawn on his face emote).
[(MOD)WhiteHuntressLive]: RUBY! HURRY UP AND WAKE UP YOUR SISTER AND BLAKE, WE'RE LATE FOR CLASS! AND DON'T DRINK MY COFFEE!!! (Snow White emote getting ready quickly in the bathroom).
[WiseWizardGleam]: (Old wizard emote snoring while sleeping...)
Funny how only the people who were awake had something to explain it.
Stark was a mechanic but also a programmer... That didn't need an explanation.
Kazuma was a nerdy neet. No secret here either; he must have spent more nights watching anime and other... things than changing underwear.
Ruby and Weiss were Huntresses. They had much better physical conditioning than normal people and aura... Even though both seemed to be surviving on coffee, with Yang and Blake succumbing to the embrace of sleep.
Rin was a Magus and, most importantly, a Japanese student. She must be used to pulling all-nighters studying.
The HOTD crew was the same, as I could see, besides Kohta in the (CHAT). Saeko and Saya, but they seemed more on autopilot than anything.
Jiraiya was a ninja, one of the best, no secret there, and Fukasaku could use nature energy much better than the sannin, the old frog was probably the healthiest person in the (CHAT), even being old.
Finally, Dumbledore, whom I felt had either passed out from sleep or was close to it.
The old man was one of the most badass wizards of all time in his world? Yes, but still, I didn't remember wizards in the HP world being the pinnacle of physical health...
Actually, I didn't even remember them doing any minimum exercise beyond Quidditch... And even that was for a few... It was kind of sad thinking about it that way...
I chuckled amusedly as I read the messages. I was already going to save the stream recording, but reading them admitting they were going to try to copy me was funny.
Honestly, I wanted to see if some of them could actually do something, their own breathing style. If I were to bet, my money would be on Jiraiya, Fukasaku, Shima, Minato, and Percy.
The first four because they were the most experienced in combat and energy manipulation, both physical and spiritual. Chakra.
I wouldn't be surprised if at some point I found out there was a "Breathing of the Toads." Which, frankly, I would find pretty cool if it happened.
And Percy, well... A "Water Breathing" or better yet, an "Ocean Breathing" would be expected of him, even if it was something he did unintentionally and entirely accidentally.
This doesn't mean I didn't give credit to the others or think they couldn't do it, just that the odds were lower than those five.
I just hoped Kazuma wouldn't kill himself trying to create something. I wanted to exchange a few more things with him; it would be a shame to find out he accidentally blew himself up while training... Well, Aqua should revive him if something like that happened... I hoped...
As we walked, before entering the house, Tanjuro spoke again.
"Can I ask you something?" The man said, just before yawning. I nodded, and he continued with the question.
"Are you really human?"
I blinked confused at that before responding playfully.
"I feel like I should be offended by that question." It wasn't the first time he had asked it, and the answer remained the same. "I'm human, Tanjuro, always have been." I replied playfully.
I was in a good mood.
The answer seemed to satisfy the man, as he nodded without saying anything more.
Strange... but not entirely unexpected. After all, I had shown some things... not human, especially the inventory.
When we entered the Kamado family's house, the sight I saw was of the army Tanjuro was creating packing things in wooden boxes while Kie supervised them.
"Tanjuro. Can I ask you something?" I said as I looked at the scene. I had just realized something now... Wasn't the guy dying these last few years?...
How did he have the strength to have so many children?... He didn't even seem to be able to move properly before...
"Sure, what's the question?"
"Are you really human?"
Tanjuro shook his head amused, as if he knew what I was thinking, and laughed, not answering, going to his wife and giving her a kiss on the forehead.
Well... Sun was a synonym for vitality in a way...
I shook my head dispersing these thoughts. Well, let's expedite this move...
[...]
I offered Tanjuro my help. It would be very simple to just store everything from the house in the inventory, but he declined, saying he wanted his family to organize things.
I didn't insist; from what I saw, it would take a few hours at most, and the boxes, once arranged, he asked me to store them, which would be faster to carry.
So, I took advantage of the free time to go out, wandering through the mountain.
I walked slowly through the snow, my body warmed by my breath. I ended up wandering into a clearing, where I stopped to train...
... Let's try to understand a bit of what happened last night.
I took Houtengeki out of the inventory and spun it slowly.
It seemed lighter...
I took a stance, holding the front part of the halberd's handle with my left hand and the back part with my right hand. Then, I took a deep breath.
I was already using the Total Concentration Breathing technique, but the simple act of focusing seemed to change everything.
My blood began to pump faster, my heart beating faster and faster.
I felt my spiritual energy following my breath, coursing through my body, and along with it, as if it were natural, my mana.
Where my spiritual energy couldn't reach due to its small quantity, my mana filled those spaces. In places where my spiritual energy was scarce, my mana seemed to reinforce them.
I stood still for a few seconds, savoring this feeling of lightness, this sense of freedom. I felt much stronger, to the point where I felt I could punch the ground and create a crater...
After a few more seconds there, with my eyes closed, I managed to understand more or less what had happened last night.
My spiritual energy was something that, even though growing rapidly, was still scarce compared to the people of this world, or at least, scarce compared to demon slayers.
I was also containing it, with the idea that breathing techniques were something purely physical, the spiritual aspect being more of a bonus...
So, last night, when I let myself go, let my body and mind function on their own, or, as Tanjuro would probably say, stopped restraining myself, thinking in a more scientific way... I had hope...
Things seemed to click.
My energies flowed freely. Spiritual energy doing its job, and mana reinforcing it, my being knowing that spiritual energy alone wouldn't be enough...
I had merged two different systems into a single technique... My breathing technique wasn't just something physical and spiritual but also used mana...
I took a deep breath one last time, tightening my grip on the Houtengeki's handle, then moved, using the first form. Enbu.
Enbu, as the name of the first form, was a simple singular vertical strike downward in an arcing motion.
I didn't do that movement but something modified, following what I remembered doing last night.
Holding Houtengeki, I slightly rotated my body to the right while taking a step forward, then thrust with the halberd forward, spinning my body to the left, transferring the force from my entire body to the strike.
The same concept of simplicity, but adapted for most weapons, not a bar but a thrust. The effect of the strike was immediate.
I felt the world blur for a moment as I moved. Everything seemed to slow down, I felt lighter...
"Boom!"
Then, at the end of my thrust, as I stepped on the ground, the sound barrier had been broken.
The snow around me flew along with the wind, created by the shockwave.
I blinked confused for a few moments before smiling like a maniac and starting to laugh.
I knew breathing techniques were incredibly powerful, but somehow, a part of me still hadn't measured how much. That was the same part that still thought hashiras fighting at the speed of sound was just for illustration. Something to make the anime cooler...
"Damn... That's monstrous." I murmured to myself as I looked at my body.
I had no injuries, nothing, my ears didn't even hurt from the sound of the sonic boom.
Even my clothes were intact, my mana and spiritual energy having protected them like my body...
I glanced at the (CHAT) briefly before realizing it was almost empty, with practically no one watching the stream. Most people were probably going to sleep or at least resting.
With a few exceptions, of course.
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]: HOLY SH*T! I SAID! I TOLD YOU GUYS THIS WASN'T A DANCE, BUT A MASS DESTRUCTION TECHNIQUE! (Emote of a generic ecstatic guy)
[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: I... won't talk about how this would be physically impossible since there's magic and other things involved; I'll just grab more coffee while contemplating what my life has become... (Emote of Iron Man going to get coffee).
[BestToadSannin]: As fast as a well-executed shunshin... Maybe less, depending on the amount of Chakra, but still, it's a breathing technique... Something that should grow with the body as the user gets stronger... And on top of that, it's something that can be used in battle... That's it, I'm 300% copying this thing! (Emote of a toad with fake Sharingan eyes).
[JiraiyaIsAnIdiot]: It's really impressive to the point where I wonder what would happen if Sage Mode were placed on top of this, how strong these two combined techniques would be... (Emote of an old toad scratching his beard in thought).
[(MOD)RedHuntressLive]: This... WOW! You moved as fast as me using my Semblance! You know what that means?... WE CAN RUN TOGETHER! (Emote of Little Red Riding Hood smiling happily).
[TohsakaHeiress]: This combined with reinforcement... Fine! I'll stop my current research on Mystic Symbols! You win, happy!? (Emote of a Chibi Rin screaming to the heavens).
The idea of combining the reinforcement from "FATE" with the Sun breathing was frightening, even scarier would be putting Sage Mode on top of all this... Damn, I really wanted to go to their world!
And what the hell was that, Ruby? You said your Semblance made you run faster, what's this about running at the speed of sound?... Aura was another monstrous thing, wasn't it?
I shook my head, dispersing my thoughts about how much I wanted a T.A.R.D.I.S and positioned myself again... But before I could assume the stance of the second form, I turned, looking back, where a dot had entered the Minimap's range and was running towards me rapidly.
I didn't worry; after all, it was a green dot, and by the way it moved much faster than a normal human, I had an idea of who it was...
A few seconds later, Tanjuro appeared in the clearing, holding an axe in his right hand, with slightly panting breath and focused eyes.
He stopped when he saw me, blinking in confusion before sighing.
"No enemies?" He asked, approaching.
"None, just training." I placed Houtengeki on my shoulders as I asked. "What did you think it was?"
"A lightning without light, just noise? I don't know, just that it was dangerous." He said, looking at me. "It scared the kids a bit." He seemed to sigh. "I'll tell them it was just you training; it should calm them down."
... Okay, now I felt a bit guilty...
"Here, take this." I took a box of chocolates from the inventory... There were a lot of kids... I took two boxes of chocolates from the inventory and tossed them to the man, who caught them effortlessly. "Tell them I apologize for scaring them."
He glanced briefly at the boxes before nodding, smiling for some reason, before asking.
"Are you going to continue training?"
"Yes... Come to think of it... Here, take these too." I tossed some earplugs to him. "Let the kids use them, Kie, and you too if you want."
I was somewhat far from their house, but the noise was still loud...
"I'll go up the mountain, in the same place as always." Where I had been training for the past few days.
It was better this way. The distance between the top of the mountain and the Kamado house was long enough for the noise not to reach there. The cold air and the trees should help muffle the sound too, even if they didn't have leaves, and if it did reach, it would be much less noisy.
"All right..." He nodded. "I'll head back then, good training..." He hesitated before asking me again. "Are you really sure you're hum-"
I cut him off, preventing the rest of the question, already knowing the end of it.
"I'm sure I'm human, Tanjuro." I sighed until I saw the smile on the man's face... this guy... he asked these questions on purpose...
After bidding farewell to Tanjuro, I began running up the mountain.
I accelerated to my usual speed to see how far I could run. Then, when I realized I could go faster, much faster, I took a deep breath and accelerated even more.
I didn't go at full speed since I wasn't used to running at that speed and didn't want to end up colliding with a tree. Still, I was running at least twice as fast as my previous maximum speed, and I felt like I could go even faster.
Dodging trees and leaving a trail in the snow, I ran to the top of the mountain in a few seconds before slowing down and stopping.
I smiled slightly as I looked at the sky...
I spent the next few hours training and getting used to my new speed and strength until I stopped when Tanjuro climbed the mountain and said everything was packed and boxed.
As we descended the mountain on foot, at a walking pace, I took the opportunity to start a conversation.
"Do you already have an idea where you're moving?" I asked. "Maybe the capital? Or somewhere nearby?" They were the best places, as even at night, they were well-lit and heavily populated.
Onis avoided places like that.
"I have a friend in a village to the north; he had promised me a few years ago that if I ever wanted to move, I could go buy a house there, and he would help me." Tanjuro explained.
"And the backup plan? In case he can't help you or something happened to him?" I doubted Tanjuro had spoken to this friend since I mentioned the move.
Communication in those times was by letters; it would take more than this short time for the letter to go and come back.
"I have some acquaintances who could help too, at least offer temporary housing." He commented briefly. "I won't let my family be homeless, don't worry." He said playfully.
I laughed as I nodded.
I didn't ask about transportation since I had told Tanjuro that I would handle that part. The Humvee was much faster than any carriage or cars from that era.
It didn't take long for us to return to the Kamado house, even less for me to throw all the boxes into the inventory.
"Are you sure you're leaving all these things here?" I pointed to the wood outside the house and other tools.
"No need, I'll leave them for the village folks. I've talked to an acquaintance; he should come tomorrow to pick them up," Tanjuro commented as he watched me put the boxes in the inventory.
"Speaking of which, where did Kie and the children go?" I asked while finishing storing everything.
"To the village, saying goodbye to friends and acquaintances," he explained.
"Fair enough. And you? Have you done that already? Or didn't have time, after all, you have dozens of acquaintances and friends," I joked. Funny that Tanjuro laughed but didn't deny it.
"I did that yesterday, don't worry."
"All right. Let's head to the village then. I'll pull the Humvee when we reach the road; it's easier than trying to go down the mountain."
Seeing Tanjuro explain where the boxes were to Kie had been funny, even more so after I pulled the Humvee from the "air."
The look of astonishment on the faces of the Kamado children and even on the faces of Kie and Tanjuro amused me.
"So you're a magician?" Nezuko asked me, looking at the landscape through the closed window.
Obviously, I left everything closed; it was cold, but, more importantly, there were children in the car. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to jump out.
"Sort of. I know a trick or two." I replied, looking at the road.
The organization of the Humvee was easy. I was the driver, obviously. Tanjuro was in the front passenger seat, and the rest of the Kamado in the back seat.
They were all tiny, including Kie, so they didn't have many problems fitting in there.
"Are you sure you know the way, right?" I asked Tanjuro.
"Yes..." He said hesitantly, looking outside. "But we can stop along the way and ask if anything."
"Your hesitation fills me with confidence, Tanjuro."
Fortunately, the back seat was quiet; two tablets and a movie were enough to captivate all the Kamado children, including their mother.
"Here." I tossed a cellphone to Tanjuro, who was trying to look back to watch the movie. "Just use headphones so you don't disturb the movie back there."
The way he looked so focused while watching The Lion King with the kids was funny.
After a few hours of driving, I had to remove the back seat, putting it in the inventory and arranging the back of the Humvee with mattresses and blankets for everyone to sleep.
I slowed down as well, as the road wasn't the best, and I didn't want to end up hurting anyone in the back since practically everyone was sleeping.
"We should arrive at dawn." I commented to Tanjuro, who was looking at the landscape covered in darkness.
"Yes... I noticed that too. It's incredible how fast this car can go. This journey would normally take at least three days..." The man said absentmindedly, looking out of the car.
"Frankly, we should already be there." I commented, looking at the road illuminated by the Humvee headlights. "I'm driving slowly. We could go faster." No explanations were needed; after all, the roads of this time were complete shit.
We continued talking for a few minutes before Tanjuro yawned.
"You didn't sleep earlier today, did you? Go to sleep; I'll wake you up when we arrive," I told the man. He seemed to hesitate but ended up accepting the offer.
"Wake me up if you need anything." I thought he would go to the back of the Humvee, but no. Interestingly, he just leaned against the seat and fell asleep.
I drove the rest of the night chatting calmly with the (CHAT). I remained alert since, with my luck, I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up encountering some random Upper Moon.
Incredibly, it didn't happen; the night passed without incident.
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Well, regarding the chapter:
Devas doesn't have enough spiritual energy to use breathing techniques the right way. In the small epiphany he had, in the "Enlightenment," so to speak, he managed to use mana as a substitute.
His breathing could be considered something entirely different from the normal Kimetsu techniques, which I plan to explore in the future!
As for the viewers having breathing techniques, I won't beat around the bush: it's possible.
Dumbledore managed to improvise the use of Runes (Terraria) and Mystic Symbols, so there's no reason why others can't do the same with breathing techniques.
Especially the folks from NARUTO, who are much more experienced and have spiritual energy, as chakra is both spiritual and physical energy.
The rest, aside from those four from NARUTO, have varying chances of creating a breathing technique (no spoilers). It's up to you to speculate on who might have better chances and what their breaths would be. Comment away!
Finally, Devas is much stronger now; the enemies will also level up!
As some of you may have noticed, the Kimetsu arc was supposed to end in this chapter, but due to various factors, mostly discouragement and lack of time, it will last one more chapter.
Interestingly, the only enemies that Devas would face in this arc were supposed to be the Lower Moons 4/2, but I ended up setting them aside because I didn't think the battle would be cool.
Now, about the previous chapter, not the story, but the one where I asked for your opinions.
I've read all the comments, and here's a summary of my thoughts:
Firstly, thank you all for your comments; I appreciate your time!
Now, before anything else, a small explanation:
I always try to leave things implied, small references to something bigger, things like that.
Some people said I hadn't given any signs of Devas being afraid of the dark or what lurks in the dark... But I've done that since the first chapters.
Devas never stayed outside a house for long when night fell in Terraria.
Devas never looked at Terraria's Moon, not once.
Devas, even in HOTD, didn't like going out at night.
Devas, even in HOTD, avoided looking at the night sky.
He always commented on this, always thought about it. So, from the beginning of the story, I gave these signs.
As for him being sentimental, making him seem like a crybaby... Well, Devas never complained out loud in the story, not once, literally.
I try to separate that well. Devas complains in his own thoughts, but he doesn't say it out loud.
He didn't complain about Terraria, his situation, anything.
One thing I don't know if you noticed: Devas never explained what Terraria is to the (CHAT) even once, something I made sure he wouldn't do. The (CHAT) doesn't know what Terraria is, what's in Terraria.
He avoids doing that, complaining, letting things out, because of what he has already lived and experienced.
Finally, the inconsistency of Devas' thoughts/actions, something some people commented on.
Devas thinks rationally and acts on emotion... Yes! I literally tried to show that since the first chapter of the story!
He is someone more rational; he thinks about what might happen, the possibilities, the pros, the cons, but in the end, he still can act in a foolish way because he wanted to, because he thought it was right.
Well... I wrote a lot in this end of the chapter, my head is killing me, I'm going to take a medicine and probably go to sleep; I have an early appointment tomorrow too...
As always: Comment if possible; I like reading the comments and try to respond when it's not something that requires spoilers. Comment on what you think of the story so far, about Devas, his future worlds/powers.
That's it, good night, and happy reading!
PS: Devas' soul mimics the body, creating organs, the part about spiritual energy went to the brain... Imagine the other energies...
PSS: Kazuma may or may not die trying to copy Devas' breathing style.
PSSS: A "Breath of the Toads" would be really cool...
PSSSS: I'm thinking of creating a separate RWBY story, something I would write when I have writer's block for Devas' story, but Devas would still be the main focus.
Three possibilities here. In all three, the protagonist will not have knowledge of the series and is a reincarnation. That is, he died, woke up as a baby or child. (His body, not possessing anyone).
First: Ruby's twin brother (unlikely, after all, the romantic pair I plan would be Ruby or Weiss).
Second: Twin brother of Joan Arc (Jaune woman). I always found the idea of Jaune having 7 sisters funny, and even more so, him being the "protected" one since he was the only boy in the family, so when he asked to learn to be a hunter, his parents denied it.
Third: A male "Ruby," but with a catch. He has already lived his own story, went to Beacon, met his team, fought Grimm, Salem, and... lost. Remnant went to hell. But somehow he returned to the past, or rather, the past of another world!
He wakes up at 4 years old, and we see what happens from there, as he thinks there is another "him" out there and meets our beloved Ruby that we know.
In this last option, he would be someone bitter, after all, he saw everyone he loves die, the planet went to hell. Then there would be "Her" Female sweet Ruby and "He" Male badass Ruby (Crimson? Red?), an old and very experienced hunter, but tired and mentally messed up.
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